Evans



PATENIED Nov 15 1870 un, D C.

Unas co. Pnoropw WASHINGTON-EVANS, OF ONTARIO,

Letters Patent No. 109,308, dated November 15, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN STONE-'TRUCKS The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WASHINGTON Evans, of On, tario, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suspension-Platform Stone-Boats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top view; and Figure 2, a longitudinal section..

rlhis invention relates to an improvement iu sus*- pension-platform stone-boats and consists of a platform and forked curved reach of peculiar construction, and the devices for securing them to the axles of a wagon, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the drawing a. is the/platform, constructed of a sntlic-ient number of planks to make it of the required width, fastened/together by cleats, l), c,- and il, and an iron plate,

j, the former secured to the upper side of the platform, and the latter to the under side, directly beneath the cleat l), by the bolts e,- having heads on the lower, and nut-s on the upper side ot' the platform.

The cleat d may be either of wood or iron.

The cleat c is provided with the eye k,.and is placed back of the front cleat l) about two-fifths of the length of the platform.

ff are plates of rolled iron, secured to the upper side of the platform at the edges, to prevent wear of the same by friction.

g g are removable side-boards, held in place by the iron plates h h h and transverse boards t' Side-boards g g are used when the load is of sand or similar material, or when the road to be travelled is rough ot hilly. p

The-iron pieces h are fastened to the platform by bolts, and are bent at the top and made -slightly liaring, so as to clamp the upper edges of the side-boards.

The front and rear axles are coupled by a forked curved reach, Z, the forked end being secured b,etween the rear axle and the bolster, and the other end between the front axle and the sand-bar a.

- lhe curved reach l is provided with a brake, a', operated by the combined levers o and 11, connected by the wire q, the fulcrum of the lever o being in the har fr, secured to the bolster, and the fulcrum of the lever p in the curved reach l, at s. l

The platform a is suspended-from the rear axle by three stirrups, s.

A block of wood, t', is inserted to lill the space between the lower side of the rear axleand the upper face of the platform.

The stirrups s pass up through the bottom of the platform, and extend above the top of the bolster in such a manner as to bind together the iron bar x, block of wood t', rear axle', and bolster, when clamped above the bolster by the iron drivers '10,tting over the stirrnp' ends, and tightened by the nuts y.

The iron bar :t prevents the stirrup fromsplitting the planks of the platform.

The platform is suspended from the front axle by the king-bolt fm., which passes up through a hole in the front end of the platform a, front axle,single end of forked curved reach Z, sand-bar a, and brace t. A keyhole penetrates the king-bolt m just above the sand-bar n. v Y A key, a', of steel, having a notch in its upper edge, of the diameter of the king-bolt m, is inserted into the key-hole to, receive the weight of the load at the front end of the platform.

The object of notch in key a' is to prevent the same from Working out, as.would be the case if key were of the ordinary'kind, wedge-shaped, or with smooth edges.

A closely-fitting washer, l1', is placed directly under the key a'.

The washer b I prefer to have made of steel, for

the reason that, if made of softer material, the friction of key above would quickly cut washer to pieces.

One end of the brace t is secured by bolts to the curved reach l, and the vother fits over the key-bolt on, and is held in place by the nut c', so as to prevent the front axle from being forced from a level, either forward or backward.

A chain, d-,is fastened to the forked curved reach l, at e', and permanently to the eye k, by hook c', and through the eye., by means of screw and nut, to the cleatc in the platform, the hook falling to and resting ou the platform when not drawn up by being attached to chain. The hook is bent very closely, to prevent the same from spreading when load is imposed. The chain is to prevent the platform from sagging to the ground under the weight of the load. This is accomplished by throwing the weight from the platform to the curved reach I, through the chain d', and thence 'necessarily to the axles, to which the curved reach is secured.

Having thus described my invention,

.What-I elaimas my improvement is- 1. The platform n, provided with the cleats l, o, and d, and the plates j and f, and the bar a', with or without the pieces It, side-boards g, and transverse boards Ai, when suspended from the axles of a wagon by stirrupss', having drivers w and nuts y, and the king-bolt fm., having the notched key a', substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore specified.

2. The stirrups s', having drivers w and nuts y, bar x, platform a, block of wood v, curved reach- Z,and rear axle and bolster, arranged relatively one to the'other, In testimony that I claim the foregoing improved for the purpose hereiubefore set forth. suspension-platform stone-boat, as above described, I 3. The king-boltm, the notched key a', and nut c', have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 28th day of front axle, sand-l ar fn, platform a, and curved reach 7, September, 1870. having brace f, arranged relatively ont.` To the other, WASHINGTON EVANS. [11.5.] as described, for the purpose specified.

4. rlllhe curved reach I, provided with the brace t Witnesses: and chain d', with or wit-hout the brake n, arranged JEROME LEE, relatively one to the other, and to the wagon-axles Trios. E. DOUGLAS. and the platform a, for the purpose set forth. 

